Two Worlds
by Diana Moon Glampers
Summary: Ash is 16. He is invited to a tournament of legends that is being held in Celedon. He goes back through Kanto and meets up with some old friends. Meant to be an alternative ending to the anime.
1. Old Friends

Disclaimer- I don't own anything, not one word of this story. Steal everything, I won't care.

Two Worlds

By Diana Moon Glampers

Chapter 1

Old Friends

It had been seven years since Ash started his pokemon journey. He'd been all over the world. Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, The Orange Islands, The Battle Frontier, all of them were places he had been and regions he had conquered. Ash's latest quest brought him back to Kanto, the first region he trained in. He was invited to a huge pokemon tournament that only the best trainers could attend. Ash was considered a living legend in some places. He was only sixteen, but he had traveled all across the world, defeated many of the strongest trainers in who ever lived, and owned a stable of fearsome fighters. His invitation was inevitable.

The tournament itself was being held in Celadon, but Ash had some time before he started, so he figured that he would get the old gang back together and meet up with Brock and Misty. He was in Pewter City when and had stopped by Brock's house. Flint was outside, cooking what appeared to be barbeque. "Hi, Flint." Ash said. Flint gave him a puzzled look. "Do I know you?" "I'm Ash. Remember? You helped supercharge my Pikachu back when I was trying to get my first badge." Ash said. Flint had to think for a moment. "Oh yeah. That was a long time ago. How are you?" He said. "Great! I've been all over the world and seen all kinds of pokemon! I'm not sure if I could have done any of it without that boost you gave me back there." Ash said. Flint smiled. "Hey, I'm glad I helped you, then. It wasn't a problem, really."

Ash looked around. He saw Brock's brothers and sisters around the house. Some of them were hard at work washing dishes and others were cleaning clothes. "Now that the kids are older, I put them to work. You know, get them to be a little useful, right?" Flint said. Ash looked around a bit more. "Is Brock around?" "He should be." Flint said. He called out. "Hey Brock, you've got a someone here to see you!"

Brock darted out with a lovestruck look on his face. "Is it Jenny? Oh, I knew she'd come back for me!" He said. He noticed that it was Ash. "Oh, Ash. Hey, long time no see!" Brock said. "Officer Jenny? I thought you like Joy." Ash said with a smile. "Yeah. I spent the night with Joy once. Never again." Brock said. "Never again? What happened?" Ash said. Brock felt pain in his groin just thinking about it. "This doesn't have anything to do with eggs, does it?" Flint said with a smirk. His son tried to change the subject. "Uh… Don't worry about it. Let's talk about something else."

"So, what brings you here, Ash?" Brock said. "Oh, I was just invited to the biggest tournament in the world." Ash said with a smug grin. He showed Brock his invitation. It read, "Ash Ketchum, you have been recognized as an outstanding trainer and we would like you to participate in a secret tournament reserved only for living legends. The tournament will be located in Kanto's very own Celadon City." The rest of the letter specified dates and times. "Huh. You're a living legend now?" Brock said. "Yep! And I figured that as long as I'm in town, I'd see if I could get the gang back together, you know, for old time's sake." "Oh, so you're going to go track down that cute girl, Misty? Man, she probably looks super-hot now. Oh yeah… I can imagine it now…" Flint said. "Dad!" Brock shouted. "What? Your mom hasn't come back in years. I can dream, can't I?"

Brock started to feel embarrassed, too embarrassed to stay. "Well Ash, I guess I'm coming with you." He said. "What, and leave your dear old dad alone with all your brothers and sisters?" "Oh, they've grown up. You can make do without me, right?" Brock said. Flint smiled. "Okay, son. Just come back at some point, okay?"

After Brock packed his belongings, he waved goodbye to his family and left with Ash to Cerulean City. The walk wasn't too far, just through Mount Moon and down a few roads.

-o0o-

Life over Lotus

-o0o-

I've been having the weirdest dreams lately

That I can't move

That I can't see

That I can't touch

That I can't think

And I'm locked in place

Stalled inside eternity

Like the myth of Atlas

WAKE THE FUCK UP

…but I don't want to.


	2. Latency Stage

Chapter 2

Latency Stage

It was dark. Ash, Brock, and Pikachu had spent all day walking through Mount Moon. When they finally reached the other side, the sun was gone. "Well… That took longer than expected." Ash said. "We got lost in there, didn't we?" Brock said. "It doesn't matter. We're here, right?" Ash said with a smile. Pikachu squeaked in agreement. "Yeah. Do you think Misty'll let us stay at her place for the night? I'm ready to fall down." Brock said. He was tired from hiking all day. "I hope so too." Ash said. They continued toward Cerulean City.

Ash, Brock, and Pikachu arrived in front of the Cerulean City gym. There weren't too many people around. In fact, it appeared to be closed at the moment, even though the lights were on. "Huh. Wonder if they'll let us in." Ash said. Pikachu hoped so too. Brock was struggling to keep himself awake.

Ash knocked on the door. No one answered at first. "Hello? Anyone here?" Ash called. He heard someone coming. He thought it would be Misty, but instead, it was Psyduck. He tripped on his feet while walking and struggled to get back up. "Oh, do you remember me, Psyduck?" Ash said. Psyduck grumbled and held its head with a dopey look on his face. "Well, can you go get Misty? We're here to see her." Psyduck didn't say anything. It smiled at Ash and urinated all over the floor. "Uh… Psyduck, are you okay?" Ash said. Psyduck tried to send a psychic message, but it was garbled due to Psyduck's low intelligence. "Ash. Ash. Ash. Ash." "Psyduck what are you doing?" A voice called out from the back. It sounded like Misty. Pikachu got excited and squeaked with joy. Brock opened his eyes. "I'm awake!" He said. "Misty? It's Ash! I'm over here!" "Oh, cool! I'll be there in just a second!"

Misty arrived at the gym doors. She unlocked them and let Ash, Brock, and Pikachu in. Psyduck grumbled like a moron. She kicked him. "Dumb duck." She said. Psyduck didn't appear to feel any pain when she did this. It just stood there like an idiot. She turned to Ash and smiled. "Sorry about the mess. He's just happy to see you. I'll clean it up later." Misty said. "Oh, it's fine. I've seen pokemon do way worse before." Ash said.

Misty looked at Ash and Brock. They were covered in dirt from travelling through the mountains all day and look exhausted. "Did you two want some food? I could make you something if you want." She said. Ash turned to Brock. He had fallen down and was sleeping on the floor. "He's going to be okay, right?" Misty said. "Oh yeah, he'll be fine. I am hungry, though, and I'd like to take up that offer on food." Ash said with a grin. "Great! I'll start cooking right now!" Misty said.

Ash stepped around Brock and followed Misty to the kitchen. She had already started frying up some eggs. "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. How's it been?" Misty said. "Pretty good. I got invited to something special, a huge tournament in Celedon. I thought, hey why not get the old gang back together, you know?" Ash said. Misty closed her eyes and smiled. "Yeah, those were the days. Remember how you trashed my bike?" She laughed. "Yeah, I remember. Look, I'm real sorry about that. Really." Ash said. "Don't be. You shouldn't be sorry about anything." Misty said.

As Misty cooked the eggs, Misty remembered how much time she spent with Ash. She secretly loved him in a way that she could never love anyone else. The problem was that she never acted on her emotions and never listened to her heart. She buried everything that she felt for Ash in a river of short temperedness and occasional anger. It didn't make her any closer to him either. All it did was push him away, away to the point that she ended up leaving him when her sisters needed her.

"I was such a fool. Why the hell did I do that?" Misty thought as she finished cooking the eggs. She set them on a plate and gave them to Ash. "Thanks, Misty!" He said. "It wasn't a problem. Now eat up!" She said. She thought about Ash and how his return into her life might mean a second chance. "Right, Misty. You can do this. You have to show him how much you love him. No more hiding. No more regrets. No more fear. You can do this!" She thought to herself.

As Ash ate, Misty moved behind him. She wrapped her arms around him and smiled. "Misty?" He said. "Yes, Ash?" "Misty, you're making it hard for me to eat." He said. Misty noticed that she had squeezed Ash's elbows to his chest. She let go and let out an embarrassed groan. "Sorry." "It's okay." Ash said with a smile. "This really is delicious, by the way."

"Okay, that didn't work. Let's try Plan B." Misty thought. She began to speak. "Ash, I want to tell you something important, something that's been on my mind for years." She said. "Oh? What is it?" Ash said. "You're special to me, Ash Ketchum. You gave me some of the best times of my life and… I guess… Thank you." Misty said. "Oh, you've been a good friend too, Misty. I appreciate it." Ash said with a smile. He finished eating his eggs. He set his plate down on the floor so that Pikachu could eat what was left. "Wow, that was great, Misty. Thanks!" "I love you, Ash." Misty said. She gave Ash a kiss on the cheek. Ash didn't expect this. He didn't seem affected, though. He just continued smiling like nothing had happened.

"What the hell is wrong with him? Is he completely oblivious?" Misty said. Her frustration with Ash morphed her affection into lust. Her desires turned dark in an instant. "You'll be mine, Ash. Actions speak louder than words, so I'm going to show you exactly how I feel." She thought. "Well, I'm off to bed. Goodnight, Misty." Ash said. "Wait." Misty said. Ash turned around. "What is it?" "How about a dip in the pool? You know, maybe have a little fun before the night's over." Misty said. She took off her shirt and shorts, revealing a bikini underneath. "I don't know. I didn't bring my swimsuit." Ash said. "You don't need to. I swim without one all the time." Misty said with a devious smile. Ash wasn't sure exactly what Misty meant by this.

Misty grabbed Ash by the hand and led him to the large swimming pool in the middle of the gym. "Come on, let's have some fun!" Misty said. "I'm not supposed to swim after I eat. I'll get cramps." Ash said. It sounded to Misty like he was just making excuses. "Don't be such a baby." She said. Ash frowned. "I'm not a baby." "Really? Well you remind me of one. Cute baby Ash…" Misty taunted. "Don't call me a baby!" Misty tried to do her best Lt. Surge impression. "Aw, poor baby! Does baby need a nap? Or is baby too scared to swim with the pretty lady?" "I'm not a baby!" Ash shouted.

Misty was getting even more frustrated with Ash now. She thought that she could taunt him into jumping in with her, but it wasn't working. She took matters into her own hands and shoved Ash. He slipped into the water and fell. Misty laughed as Ash swam back to the surface. He was soaking wet. "Very funny, Misty." Pikachu followed suit and jumped into the water too.

Misty jumped into the water and swam quickly to one side of the pool and back again. Ash had never seen anyone swim so fast. "Wow, you're really good." She smiled. "I've had a lot of time to myself lately. I'm alone a lot in this old gym." "Well, you've got your pokemon with you. Psyduck seemed to be…" She cut him off. "Pokemon are different, Ash. They're not like people." Pikachu felt a little sad when he heard this, but tried not to let it show.

Misty got out of the water. "Here, we should get your clothes off, hang them up to dry, that sort of thing." Misty said. "I'll be fine." Ash said. "Yeah, but you really should. Please?" Misty said. "No, I'll be fine, Misty. I'm tough." Ash said with a smile. "Come on, Ash. I'm trying to be nice here." Ash thought about it for a moment. Misty was a good friend to him, and her heart was in the right place. But wasn't she the one who shoved him in the water in the first place? This whole scenario weirded him out a bit, but he went along with it anyway. "Okay." Ash said. He go out of the water, stripped down to just his underwear, and let Misty hang it up. She even turned on a fan so that they would dry quicker.

"Up for some more swimming?" Misty said. "I don't know…" Ash said. Misty gave him a disgusted face. "Don't be such a baby." They both jumped back into the water and swam around some more. Once again, Misty was very fast, like she had a lot of time to practice. "So, how's Togekiss? Is he doing good?" Ash said. "He's okay. Hey, how about my new bikini? Do you think it's pretty? I bought it the other day and…" Ash interrupted her. "What about Starmie? Teach it any good moves?" Ash said. Misty tried to cover up her growing frustration. "No, he's the same as always." Misty said. She paused for a moment and moved close to Ash. "You look really good without a shirt on, you know that?" She said. "Oh. Thank you. I get quite a workout running around all day. You know, I wrestled a croconaw once. I guess I am stronger than I probably think." He snapped his fingers. "Do you have a croconaw, Misty? Maybe I could wrestle it!" Misty frowned. "Is pokemon all you ever think about?" "Sometimes." Ash said with a cute smile.

Misty was getting very frustrated. Ash was completely oblivious to her advances, so she knew that she had to try something different. She circled him like a shark. "Misty… What are you doing?" "Tonight we cross the line, Ash. I want you. Now." She said with a devious smile. Ash wasn't sure what she meant. "Misty, are you okay?" She rammed into him and pressed him up against a wall. "Ash, I have something I need to get off my chest. I love you. I always loved you and I felt so bad about separating from you that it's been eating away at my soul for years." The shift in the tone made Ash feel very uncomfortable. He wasn't sure what Misty was getting at, but he knew that it was something that he didn't want. He tried to slip out of the pool, but she locked her legs up against his. "Please… Stop." Ash said. "What's the matter? Are you afraid? Don't be such a baby." Misty said. "I… Uh…"

Ash was feeling very confused at the moment. For years he had suppressed his desires through endless training. He never thought about women, always of the opinion that there were things more important in his life than love, lust, and girls. Misty knew that Ash had been suppressing these feeling. She was trying her very best to unleash them, but Ash's fear was too strong. When it came down to it, he was still a child at heart. He was afraid of girls.

Misty pressed her body up against Ash again. She slammed him into the swimming pool's wall. She pinned him up against the wall like a prisoner chained in a dungeon. Lust took control of her. She no longer cared if Ash wanted to do what she was planning or not. After all of these years, she was finally showing Ash how she really felt.

"Misty… It hurts… This is…" Ash said. He tried to get out of Misty's grip, but it was impossible. "This is what, Ash? Beautiful? I think you're beautiful." She said with a devious smile. She pressed her lips up against his and forced her tongue inside of his mouth. Ash tried to get away, but she was too strong. The tongue sloshed inside of his mouth like a mad lust worm. Ash never imagined that being kissed by a girl would be like this. Misty never imagined Ash to be so unwilling.

Misty gave Ash another smile. He tried to turn away and tried to get back out. "What's wrong? Don't you want this?" Misty said. "No. No, I don't. Get off, please, Misty." She was furious. She always imagined Ash being just as excited about this as she was. She imagined the moment where Ash finally realized her love to be a momentous occasion. "You're not going anywhere." She said. She grabbed Ash by the groin. She thought that he would give out a pleasured moan, but instead, he let out a shriek of pain. She used her other hand to force Ash's hand onto her. "Stop… Stop!" Ash shouted. "We can't stop. There's no turning back. I love you, Ash Ketchum." Misty whispered.

Misty started to pull down Ash's underwear. She did some very dirty things to Ash's body in that pool. It wasn't until it was too late that she realized what she was doing. This didn't feel right. None of this felt right. In a brief moment of self-realization, she let go of him. Ash took this time to climb out of the water. He started to run to get his clothes, but slipped on the water and fell down. He curled up on the floor and cried.

Misty climbed out of the pool. Her mind was clouded with anger, lust, and frustration. She had fantasized about Ash for a good portion of her life and now that fantasy was ruined. "Ash, what the hell is wrong with you? Don't you want me?" "I… I do want you… I…" He turned to look away from Misty. She circled around to face him. "What the hell, Ash Ketchum? Is it another girl, is that it? You fucked Dawn first, didn't you?" "No! I… I never did anything with anyone!" He couldn't talk to her. He couldn't even look her in the eyes. Ash turned around again, and held his groin in pain. "What the hell is wrong with you? Why won't you look at me? Look at me, damnit! Look at me!" She tore off the top of her swimsuit and tried to move in closer. She noticed tears running down Ash's face. That was when she knew that she had lost.

Misty turned away. "Oh. I see. That's how it is." She said. Ash didn't say anything. Misty turned to Pikachu, who was still trying to climb out of the pool. She helped him out so that he could be by his trainer. Pikachu helped Ash to his feet. He was still scared, like he could jump out of his skin at any moment.

Misty sighed and sat down on a beach chair close to the pool. "Right. I see how it is now. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have done any of it." Misty said. "No, Misty, it's not like that." Ash said. "No, I get it. All that time we spent together meant nothing to you." "No, it didn't… It…" Ash could barely speak. Between everything that Misty had done to him and the wet stain in his underwear that was clearly not water, he was feeling traumatized. "Just go. I know when I'm not wanted." Misty said. She buried her face in her hands and tried not to let Ash see her face.

"Misty… I… I…" Ash felt sick. He held his stomach in pain. He thought Misty was going to say something, but she only sobbed. "Mistytytytyty…" He couldn't finish his words. Instead, he puked all over the gym floor. Pikachu patted him on the back and held his hand while the vomit spewed out. "I know, Ash. You hate me. I'm disgusting, horrible, unlovable… I'm so sorry." Misty said.

Ash tried to say something. He wanted to talk, but between the fatigue and the trauma of everything that had just happened, he passed out. He fell down on the floor, unconscious. Misty dragged him up to one of her sisters' rooms. They were all touring the world as professional swimmers, so none of them would know if someone else slept in their beds. "Goodnight, Ash." Misty said. "I hope you can forgive me.

Misty started to walk back downstairs to go wash the dishes before she went to bed too. She started toward the kitchen, until she saw Brock. He was awake at the moment. He was a little shocked. "Oh! Misty… I…" He looked down at Misty's body. The only thing she was wearing was the bottom of her swim suit. She gave Brock an angered look. "Take a picture. Maybe it'll last longer." He frowned. "Great. A beautiful body is ruined by a terrible attitude. Girls like you shouldn't be allowed to talk." Brock teased.

"So, do I have to ask? Why are you running around like this?" Brock asked. Misty couldn't tell the truth. "I do this all the time. A home is a girl's castle, you know." "Really…" Brock said. "Does this mean that all cute girls cavort around in their underwear when no one's looking?" Brock said with an excited smile. Misty shook her head. "I'm not cute, Brock. I'm disgusting." She left Brock and ran up to her room. She cried herself to sleep that night, thinking of what she had done and everything that she threw away that night.

-o0o-

I Remember

-o0o-

I remember when we were young

I used to dream about your tongue

Every night I'd make a wish

For the courage to give you a kiss

I was thinking of you

When we split and grew apart

I should have listened to my heart

I might be yours, you might be mine

But I'm too dumb and you're too blind

I remember those nights I spent alone

I longed to feel your fleshy bone

I'd touch myself until I roiled

All those panties that I soiled

Thinking of you

All this shame I feel

I know it can't be real

But the pain sure is

And if love's supposed to be pure, then what is this?

I remember, my eyes were wet

When I learned about the other girls you met

I hurt inside, but I tried to be cool

My stupid heart still wanted you

I could only think of you

I felt tossed aside

I broke down and cried

Ever since we met

I've been drowning in a river of regret

When I find myself thinking of you.


	3. Truth and Artifice

Chapter 3

Truth and Artifice

"Ash… Ash… Ash!" Ash saw an unspeakable beast in front of him. It had mouths all over it; some of them were sideways. The mouths dripped with venom and saliva. The beast moved closer to Ash and began licking him with his tongues. It made Ash feel uncomfortable. He wanted to run away, but his legs wouldn't move. "Ash…" The monster spoke with Misty's voice. It gently caressed his body with one of its tentacles. "…I love you."

Ash awakened in a cold sweat. He was breathing fast and heavy, like he was gasping for air. He saw a strange ceiling above him, one that he did not recognize. "Where am I?" He asked himself. He got up and noticed that this was not where he remembered falling asleep. In fact, he didn't remember anything of what happened last night. It was like his mind was attacking its own memories and had suppressed the trauma that he went through.

The next thing that Ash noticed was that his clothes were neatly folded for him on a chair. "Huh. Why are my clothes there?" Then, he noticed that he was wearing nothing but his underwear. He started to wonder why this happened. He tried his very best to remember everything that happened last night, but his mind would not allow it. Not thinking much of it, Ash got dressed and walked out the door. He saw that he was in The Cerulean City Gym. He didn't remember much of how he got there, just that Misty made him a late night dinner and he went to bed.

Ash walked downstairs and saw Misty crying in the kitchen. It looked like she didn't get a lot of sleep. "Morning, Misty. What's wrong?" Ash said. She couldn't look him in the eye. "You know what's wrong." She said. Ash tried to think. "No, I don't. You can talk with me." He said. Ash's upbeat demeanor confused Misty. "What is wrong with him? Did he just sort of forget? Or maybe he's just pretending it never happened. Forgive and forget?" She thought. Ash sat down with her. "Hey, what happened? Did your sister mistreat you again?" Ash said. Misty looked up at Ash. "Do you remember last night?" She said. "What about last night? You made me some eggs and I went to bed. Those were some good eggs, by the way." Ash said. Misty smiled through her tears. "You're so sweet, Ash." He gave her a confused look. "I am?" "Yeah. You are."

Brock walked into the kitchen, ruining Ash and Misty's moment together. "Hey, good morning you two! So, are we heading out today?" "Pretty soon, yeah." He turned to Misty. "Think you could come along with us too?" Ash said. She stood up. "I'd love to come with you." "Cool. I took a quick look at the map. We can make it to Celedon by tonight of days if we head south and cut through Saffron." Brock said.

Even though Ash didn't remember anything of what happened the previous night, Pikachu remembered all of it. He was the only true witness, a creature that could only communicate through actions and the repeated sound of its own name. Pikachu was disturbed by everything that he had seen and was even more disgusted with himself for doing nothing to stop it from happening. Pikachu loved his trainer Ash and he loved Misty. He didn't want to hurt either of them, even when they were hurting each other.

Ash found Pikachu curled up in a ball in the corner of Msity's kitchen. The pokemon appeared to be sleeping, but he wasn't. He was still horrified by what he had witnessed. "Come on, Pikachu. A new day starts!" Ash said with a smile. Pikachu got up and pretended to stretch. He squeaked a few times and tried to hide the fact that he was still horrified.

Ash picked up Pikachu and put the pokemon on his shoulder. Pikachu was a worried. He started to piece everything that he had heard Ash and Misty say along with Ash's return to his normal happy demeanor. A thought popped into his head. "Should I tell Ash?" Pikachu looked over at Misty. She still looked like the kind, friendly, yet short-tempered girl that he knew. "Looks can be deceiving." Pikachu thought.

Pikachu squealed a worried squeal and tried to communicate to Ash that Misty was trouble. "What's wrong, Pikachu?" Ash said. Pikachu tried to point to Misty and tell Ash that she did something horrible. It only came out as worried squeaks. "Aw, it's okay Pikachu. Misty didn't do anything." "Yes she did, Ash! Yes she did!" Pikachu wanted to say. Instead, he just repeated his name through squeals. Ash hugged Pikachu. "Hey. It's okay. Whatever you're worried about won't hurt you, okay?" Ash said.

Misty noticed that Pikachu was aware of what had happened. She knew that this could be a problem and made note in her head to talk to Pikachu when they were alone. Until then, he could just squeal like an animal and try in vain to communicate what he had seen. If Pikachu kept it up, Ash was going to know everything.

Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu walked southward to Saffron until they stopped to take a break. Misty saw Pikachu leave Ash and Brock for a moment to pee. Misty followed Pikachu. The pokemon didn't notice Misty until it was almost done urinating. "Hey, Pikachu." Misty said. Piakchu turned around and nearly jumped when he saw Misty. "Hey. Sh… Sh…Calm down. Okay? I'm not here to hurt you." Misty said. Pikachu squeaked a worried squeak. He didn't trust Misty, not after what he had witnessed.

"I know you have every right to not trust me. I understand. What I did back there was unforgivable." Misty said to Pikachu. Pikachu gave her an angry squeal. He started to charge his electric cheeks. "Just please… Don't tell him anything. If he doesn't want to remember, then he doesn't have to. The truth will hurt him. Just please… Just this once, do you think you could pretend it never happened?" Pikachu shook his head. "Please, Pikachu. Everyone will be much better that way." Misty said. They both heard Ash calling from far away. "Hurry up, Misty and Pikachu! We're moving on!" "Just a second!" Misty said. She turned back to Pikachu. "Please? I need you to do this, not just for me, but for Ash too."

Pikachu turned to Ash, who was approaching from the distance. He looked happy, like someone who had never been raped, like someone who had never even heard of the concept of rape before. He seemed so child-like at times. That innocence that Ash had was preserved by his retrograde amnesia. It kept him happy. It kept him blissfully ignorant of his trauma. "In the end, maybe he will be happier this way." Pikachu thought. He smiled and played along. He felt dirty, like he was siding with a horrible person by doing this, but since it was for his best friend, he allowed it. Ash was the man who trained him from being a weak and unruly creature into a strong and disciplined fighter, the man who he shared countless experiences with, and the man who was the most important thing in his life, a person that he could not live without. Pikachu didn't want to open those wounds. "Perhaps she's right. Let's just pretend it all never happened."

-o0o-

There was something that Ash did not know, however. The world that he was living in was a lie, a fabrication made by his own mind. In a different world, the real world, Ash was comatose. Pokemon, Kanto, gyms, everyone he ever knew, everything that he ever loved, it was all lies made by his mind. Ash wasn't aware of this at all. To him, this was all just a happy fantasy, a dream. His father, Giovonni, was aware of this dream. His goal, and by extension, the goals of Team Rocket was to awaken Ash. The answer lied in his best friend and greatest companion, his pokemon Pikachu.

Giovonni was in his hideout in Celedon City. He was awaiting Ash's arrival. He secretly knew that the whole tournament was a ruse. It only existed to get Ash to come to him. He stroked his Persian in his office. He heard a knock on his door. "Come in." He said. Jesse, James, and Meowth walked in. "You wanted to see us, Sir?" Jesse said. Giovonni smiled. "You know, I don't tell you three this enough, but I'm actually proud of you. After all these years, you're still loyal to me and are still willing to follow orders. Let me just say that, even after all of your failures, I still like you, all three of you."

Jesse, James, and Meowth weren't sure what to make of this. Usually Giovonni was upset or angered at one thing or another. This time, he was actually happy. They suspected something might be up. "Boss?" James said. "What is it?" He asked. "…Why was no one else here?" James said. On their way in, Jesse, James, and Meowth didn't see anyone else in the hideout. "Oh, the rest of Team Rocket? I fired them all. We're going into Operation Sunrise." Giovonni's words confused Team Rocket. They had no idea what this meant.

Giovonni reached into his wallet and handed Jesse, James, and Meowth some money. "Here. Go do whatever you want. Spend it on something that makes you happy." He said with a smile. "What? Why?" Meowth said. Giovonni put on a smirk. "Don't worry about it. You're not fired or anything. I like you guys too much to fire you, not after all you've been through." Giovonni said. Jesse gave him a confused look. "You didn't capture Pikachu, did you?" She said. "Not yet. I will have him soon, though." Giovonni said. He paused for a moment. "Oh, one more thing. I'll need you to work The Game Corner for a bit. It'll only be for a few days. Ash should be coming. You need to trap him. I trust that you are at least competent enough to handle that?" He said while stroking his Persian. "Yes, sir." Team Rocket said. "Good. Now get out of here. I have a lot to think about right now."

Giovonni turned to his Persian. "Pretty soon all will return to nothing. My son will finally awaken and experience life for the first time in years." He said. Persian purred. "The end is coming soon, Ash. You're going to have to grow up sooner or later." He thought.

-o0o-

Relapse

-o0o-

I look at you

You look at me

My open eyes

Are all I see

The pale white walls

They look so bleak

I close my eyes

I'm back to sleep

And in those dreams

I cry.e dove at H


	4. Hopenol

Chapter 4

Hopenol

"No more illusions, Ash. Open up." The beast dug her claws into Ash's skin. It spoke with Misty's voice. "Come on. Open up." It said. Ash kept his mouth closed. He didn't want to scream. It would have meant opening his mouth. The beast roared. "Open your fucking mouth!" It jammed its tentacle straight into Ash's stomach. Ash had to scream. The moment he opened his mouth, the beast slid her tongue into Ash's mouth. It slurred down his through like a snake sliding down a river. Ash felt like he could choke. He held his mouth as he coughed and gasped for air. "Ash?" A voice said.

Ash woke up. He saw Brock, Misty, and Pikachu looking down at him. "Ash, you were screaming in your sleep. What happened?" Brock said. "Sorry… It was a nightmare. I've been having the weirdest dreams lately." Ash said. He looked to the sky and saw that it was morning. He got up. "Right. Celedon should be close. Let's go!" He said.

Ash and his friends ended up camping on Route 7, the road between Saffron and Celedon. Like the day before, Ash woke up from a nightmare. He wasn't sure why he was having nightmares lately, but he tried to ignore them. They continued on to Celedon City. The walk wasn't very far.

Upon reaching Celedon City, Ash looked around. He didn't see any signs or flyers for the huge tournament that he was invited to. "Huh. The invitation said that it would be in the casino, but it doesn't look like anything was there that was out of the ordinary. Well, maybe it's a big deal inside." Ash said. "Are you sure? I mean, casinos are bad news, Ash. They'll take everything you have." Brock said. "I'm willing to take my chances." Ash said.

Ash led Misty and Brock into The Game Corner. They were met by Jesse and James, who were in poorly put together disguises. Naturally, Jesse was dressed as a male waiter and James was in a carnival style female dance outfit. "It's the twerp." Jesse whispered to her partner. "I know. Remember, stick to the plan." James whispered. They turned to Ash. "Welcome to The Game Corner! We've got plenty of games for you to play! Come on in!" Jesse said. Ash shook his head and smiled. "Naw. I'm here for the Tournament of Legends. I read somewhere that it was going to take place in here?" He said. "Are you sure this isn't a scam, Ash?" Brock said. "Positive."

Jesse smiled. "Oh, you mean _that_ tournament! Right this way!" She said. Team Rocket led Ash, Misty, and Brock to the Game Corner's basement. As they went down the stairs, Ash looked around. He noticed that no one else was here. "I have a real bad feeling about this, Ash." Misty said. A horrible sensation welled up in Ash's gut. "Maybe they were right." Ash thought. He tried to shake those thoughts of doubt out of his head.

Team Rocket led Ash into a dark room. They locked the door behind him. "So, are we ready?" James said. "Ready." Ash said. "Good. Good. I've been waiting to see you for a long time, Ash." A voice called out for the darkness. Ash wasn't sure why, but that voice made him feel uneasy. There was something malevolent about it, something that shook him to his very core. Jesse cackled. "Your first opponent is… Your daddy!" Giovonni stepped out of the darkness with a sinister grin on his face. "It's been a while, Ash." He said.

Upon seeing his father, Ash felt like he could faint. "Dad? How…? Mom told me you were dead!" "Lies. All of it, lies! I hold the truth, Ash Ketchum. I know the secret to you, the secret to the world, and the secret of that electric rat you have with you!" He pointed to Pikachu. Fear crept into the pokemon's heart when this happened, a dark, harrowing fear that cut into him like no other fear had ever done before.

Ash regained his composure. "Right. If I'm going to have to fight you, then I'll fight you! I'm a living legend and I'll prove it to you!" Ash said. Giovonni laughed. "I see where this is going. Go on and use every pokemon you have on you. I'll defeat them all at once." Giovonni said with a smug grin. "Isn't that agaisnt the rules?" Ash said. "There are no rules." Giovonni said. Ash reached for his belt, but Misty and Brock stopped him. "No, Ash. Don't." "Why? I know who you are, Misty and Brock. You're a couple of washed up low-level gym leaders. I could take you two in my sleep!" Giovonni said.

Ash pulled out a pokeball. "Right. I choose you, Galie!" Glalie popped out of his pokeball. He laughed, as usual, and stared down Giovonni. "Activate." With that one word, Giovonni's pokemon appeared before him. They looked kind of like Mewtwo, but they were made entirely out of metal and had huge needles between their legs.

"What… What are those?" Ash said. Giovonni smirked. "They are Hopenol Units, robotic replicas of Mewtwo. Do you ever wonder what we do with all the money Team Rocket makes stealing pokemon, Ash? We funded it into these, the ultimate weapons!" One of the Hopenols thrust its pelvis forward. Green liquid oozed from its needle. It stepped forward. The battle had started.

"Glalie, use headbutt!" Ash commanded. Glalie rammed into Hopenol. It knocked the artificial pokemon back, but it seemed undamaged. "Hopenol, use your psychic grip." Giovonni said. Hopenol moved its arm and lifted Glalie with its powers. It looked like it was in a lot of pain, like it was ready to pass out at any moment. "Do you like it? It's not as good as Mewtwo, but it uses the same kind of psychic energy." Giovonni said. Glalie started to scream in pain. Ash started to hear some cracks. "Glalie, return!" Ash said. He tried to call Glalie back, but another Hopenol blocked the ball's power. "What? You can't do that!" Ash shouted. "I told you Ash, there are no rules."

Hopenol's psychic grip strengthened. Glalie screamed even louder. Blood started to drip from his body. The pokemon began to shake. "Stop! You're hurting it!" Ash shouted. "I know." Giovonni said. He nodded, giving Hopenol the command to finish the job. Glalie exploded into a shower of gore. Half of his body was completely destroyed. All that was left was half of his mouth and one dead eye, staring off into oblivion.

"You… You killed him!" Ash shouted. He tried to hold back the tears. Brock and Misty only stared off in horrified silence. "Yes. I wasn't kidding when I said there were no rules." Ash tried to reach for another pokeball, but one of the Hopenol Units used its psychic powers to stop him. "Right. Enough games. It's time to end this." Giovonni said. One of the Hopenols began to move toward Ash. Its needle stood erect and dripped green liquid as it walked.

Thinking fast, Misty and Brock sent in their pokemon. "Go, Starmie!" "Go, Crobat!" Starmie and Crobat appeared before them. The Hopenols noticed this and ran over to them. Starmie spun like a shuriken and slamed itself into one of the Hopenol Units. Its razor sharp edges tore the artificial pokemon's head clean off. Crobat soared through the air and sliced another Hopenol with its wings. It was cut in half. "Hold on, Ash! We're coming!" Misty said.

One of the Hopenols tried to fire a psychic beam at Starmie, but it flew out of the way and blasted it with water. The pressure was so high that it tore the robot's arm off. It tried to jump forward and stab Starmie with its needle, but Crobat swooped in to knock the Hopenol off course. It slammed itself into a wall and fell apart.

There were only two Hopenol Units left besides the one that holding Ash. It was even closer now, trying to find a decent place to stab Ash with its needle. "Guys, help! Help!" Ash shouted. "Hold on, Ash." Brock said. His Crobat bit into one of the Hopenol's necks and ripped its head clean off. Starmie blasted water at another one, the force from the blast destroying the Hopenol Unit.

The last Hopenol was ready to jam its needle straight into Ash's neck, until Pikachu jumped forward. It blasted the robot with so much electricity that it exploded. Every last one of the Hopenol Units were gone. Ash was released from the psychic grip and fell down to the floor. He looked up at Giovonni and smiled. "Looks like you're out of pokemon." He said. Giovonni laughed. "Oh no? Hopenols, recover."

The green liquid that was located inside of the Hopenol's bodies oozed out of them. They grabbed every piece and part that was dismantled from the robots. Burnt parts were restored. Dismembered limbs reconstructed. The Hopenol Units stood up as though nothing had happened. Misty and Brock gazed in horror at what they were seeing. "Kill them." Giovonni said.

One of the Hopenols grabbed Brock by the arm. He tried to reach for his pokeball, until another grabbed him. Piakchu and Crobat noticed this and tried to shoot lightning and air cutters at the robots, until another Hopenol stood in the way and used is psychic powers to bend the attacks away. They missed. "Brock, no!" Ash shouted. The Hopenols grabbed him by both arms and pulled. They were both torn off, leaving an armless Brock to fall onto the ground, bleeding. Crobat tried to attack another one by swooping in, until it was torn apart by psychic force, just like Glalie.

Ash saw what had just happened. Giovonni killed his friend, right in front of him. The time for pokemon battle was over. This was no longer just a game, a competition that trainers had to see who was the best. This was a real battle with real lives on the line. Ash did something that had didn't think he would ever do. "Pikachu, use thunder!" He pointed to his father. Pikachu had to think for a moment over what this really meant. Giovonni smirked. "You don't have it in you, you little rat." Pikachu gave a pissed off squeal and shot his most powerful bolt of lighting he had ever shot. It was enough force to execute a man in an electric chair. Giovonni felt the lightning surge through him. He felt his flesh and clothes burn as the pokemon shocked him.

During that attack, Giovonni was honestly scared. He never thought that his son would have the courage and audacity to actually attack him. He always viewed Ash as just a child, the kind that obeyed his parents and feared anyone with authority. Ash wasn't a child anymore, though, and he had just realized that. "A mistake… I underestimated you, my son." Giovonni thought. He started to feel like he was going to explode, until a Hopenol jumped in. It used its psychic powers to bend Pikachu's attacks away from Giovonni. Pikachu started to try to shock the artificial pokemon, but instead it grabbed him. Pikachu was seized by the Hopenol Unit's bare hands and was squeezed.

Ash was angered and horrified upon seeing this. "Let him go!" He shouted. Giovonni stood up with smoke wafting from his body after experiencing Pikachu's full force. One of his eyes had melted and he was covering the hole where it once was. "That's a very special Pkaichu, Ash. I can't do that." Giovonni said. The Hopenol reached toward Ash. He tried to run away, but it was no use. The psychic robot levitated Ash right into its hands. "I'm going to kill this pikachu and extract its phylactery so that you may finally awaken!" Giovonni said. Ash had no idea what Giovonni was saying, but he did understand the part about killing Pikachu. He struggled to break free. "You can't do that! I won't let you!" He shouted. The Hopenol grabbed him tighter. Giovonni laughed. He started to give the next command to Hopenol, until a blast of water knocked him against the wall. It was Starmie. Misty stood in front of a dead Hopenol with a determined look on her face. "Hands off my fucking boyfriend."

Another one of the Hopenol Units tried to attack Misty, But Starmie sliced through it like a razor edged shuriken. Giovonni got up. "It's no use, Misty. My robots will regenerate instantly. If you kill them, they will come right back. She gave Giovonni a devious smirk. "Not if I kill you. Then no one can control them." She said. Starmie spun towards a Hopenol, until it grabbed it out of the air and snapped its arms off. The bloodied razor blades fell to the ground. Satmie was reduced to just its core. The light in the center faded. It was dead. "Good. Now kill her!" Giovonni said.

One of the Hopenols tried to shoot a psychic beam at Misty. She jumped out of the way and grabbed one of Starmie's severed arms. She used it to slash through a Hopenol. Another freshly regenerated one tried to stab her with its needle, but she rolled out of the way and slashed through it too. She moved like a ninja. Ash wasn't sure how Misty could do all of this. It was like she had gone insane.

"I'm coming to save you, Ash!" Misty said as she sliced through two Hopenol units at once. There was only one left, the one that was holding Ash. She ran toward the final Hopenol and sliced right through it. It dropped Ash and Pikachu. She turned to Giovonni. He had a terrified look on his face. "You… You wouldn't truly kill a man, would you?" Giovonni said. Before he could answer, Misty screamed. She slashed the blade across Giovonni's chest with tears in her eyes. She started to follow it up with a stab into the ribs, until she heard something behind her. It was a Hopenol. It had regenerated and had charged its psychic beam. It fired and blasted her into the ground. She fell down and coughed up blood. Before she could get back up, more of the Hopenols regenerated. They all fired their beams at once. She exploded, leaving only a charred, bloodied stain on the floor. "Misty!" Ash shouted. Both of his companions were dead.

Giovonni stood up. He was holding his chest to keep himself from bleeding out. He barely had enough strength to stand. "Ash, you need to wake up." He said. "Wake up?" He said. A Hopenol grabbed held him down with his mind. Pikachu started to shoot a thunderbolt, until it was held down with psychic force. "This isn't the real world, Ash. It's nothing but artifice, a fabrication made by your mind. It's time to wake up." Giovonni said. One of the Hopenols used its needle to tear into Pikachu's body. A ball of light was seen within. It was the world's phylactery, the one thing that kept the world from dying. The Hopenol Units drove their needle penises into Ash's body. He screamed in pain as he felt green liquid enter his bloodstream. Giovonni coughed up blood as this happened. He fell onto the floor, presumably dead. The phylactery crumbled. With that, the world melted away.

Ash could feel his world returning to nothingness. He felt a deep sense of sadness in him. It was also mixed with a lot of other feelings. Anger. He was angry at himself for not being able to save anyone. Fear. He was afraid of what this meant, of this new world that he really lived in. He didn't remember any of this true world, the one that wasn't a dream that he was being plunged into. There was also another feeling. He wasn't sure what it was, or how he could describe it, but he felt it. He heard a voice in his head. It was Misty's. "I… I'm so sorry, Ash. Really, I am." Memories came flowing back to him. He remembered back in the pool in the Cerulean Gym. He remembered everything, his mind no longer having the strength to suppress them anymore. "Oh… Oh God!" Ash shouted. He felt like he was going to vomit. "Please, Ash. Forgive me. If you can find it in your heart, please. Forgive me." She said. That was the last thing he heard in his imaginary world. All returned to nothing.

-o0o-

Tears

-o0o-

I remember when you cried

I remember when I died

Seeing everything and nothing

Seeing it all through clouded eyes

My world is decaying fast

I don't know if I can last

And all the repressed memories

Are rising from my past

There is nothing I can do

I just want to embrace you

I can't see past my own lies

Goodbye forever, Pikachu.


	5. The Beauty In Lies

Chapter 5

The Beauty in Lies

Ash was pulled away from his sleep. His eyes opened. His body felt horrible, like it could barely move. He felt all sorts of machines inside of him, invading every orifice of his body, like they were as much a part of him as his organs. Monitors were attached to his fingers and chest. Tubes were inside of his mouth, throat, nose, and penis. There was a bag attached to his anus. He was completely naked, covered in some kind of disgusting gel that preserved his body. He was screaming unintelligible words that not even he understood. It was like being born again.

Ash wanted to move. He wanted to get up and pull the machinery out of him, but he was unable. He felt like he could move mere hours ago, but now he couldn't. Men rushed into the room where they heard Ash screaming. "He's back! He's back! It's a miracle, he's back!" "Get me out of here." Ash said. The attendants ignored him and continued to talk amongst themselves about how miraculous this was. That was when Ash realized that they couldn't take him off of the machines. They were the only things keeping him alive. He overheard one nurse whisper to another. "How long do you think he has?" "Maybe a month at most. Probably less." Ash knew that he wasn't supposed to hear this, but it made him feel awful. He awakened with only one month left to live. "What a cruel joke." He thought to himself.

Ash tried to go back to sleep. He tried to imagine his friend, Pikachu. He thought about Professor Oak and Brock. He wore himself out trying to bring back his world of pokemon, but it didn't work. It was like a chain was holding him back. He could picture pieces of this world, but never truly live in it. He was trapped as a paralyzed rag doll in this world, the real world. His imagination was useless.

Once all the hospital staff left, Ash saw someone he recognized from the dream world enter his room. It was his mother. She was older than how she looked in Ash's mind. Her hair was graying, her face had some wrinkles, and she looked thinner and weaker. "Ash? Baby, is that you?" She said. "Hi, Mom. What's going on?" Ash said. She started to cry. She didn't answer her son's question. She only cried tears of joy and hugged her son. She didn't even care about getting the bizarre gel that coated Ash's body on her clothes. "Oh Ash, I was so worried about you. You've been on those machines for years and… Oh, I thought you'd be a vegetable forever. Your… Your father would be proud." Ash remembered his father, Giovonni Ketchum. He died all the way back when he was a child. Pieces of Ash's former life, the one from before he went into a coma came rushing back to him. It was a surreal experience, remembering memories from two different lives.

"What happened to Pikachu? Is he okay?" Ash said. "Pikawho, now?" Delia said. "Pikachu. He was my best friend. He's still here, right?" "I don't know anyone named Pikachu." Delia said. She started to suspect that her son was still delirious from his coma. "Pikachu. He's a pokemon. I started out with him when I began my pokemon journey." Delia only gave him more confused looks. That was when the truth hit Ash. There were no pokemon in the real world.

"I need to go back." Ash thought. "I need to get out of here. I don't care about truth or lies or any of that shit. I need to go back." He heard a voice in his head. It was his own voice, a menacing, painful voice that was a side of him that he did not want to think about. "Why do want to go back? Life is beautiful." "There's nothing beautiful about this." Ash thought. The voice in his head countered this. "Really? Do you have any idea how worried Mom was? She used an experimental drug that cost her thousands of dollars to test on you. It was her only shot at seeing you again. A mother's reunion with her son… Is that not beautiful enough for you?"

"Truth… Is the truth really more beautiful than artifice?" Ash thought. He shook his head. He thought about everything that he was leaving behind. A whole world filled with colorful creatures, a society of trainers who developed irreplaceable bonds with their companions, and most of all, his friends. "No. This can't be right. This has to be a lie." Ash thought. The voice in his head, the voice of reason and reality countered. "Grow up. It's time to throw away your toys and live like a man. You're a man now, right?" Ash tilted his head to his exposed penis. "I'm a man, I guess. It's time to act like one."

A man must be strong, strong enough to accept any reality and live with it. A man must have courage, the courage to accept any disaster and live with it. A man must endure and fight through whatever pain he has and live. In Ash's mind, he was still a boy, though. He had the body of a man, a weak, frail, paralyzed man, but in the end, he was still a boy.

"I want to go back." Ash thought. "You can't. You're back in the real world, the true world, the world that is truer than any other world, that there is. You can't go back to your lies, not after everything that Mom went through." He thought about his mother and turned to her. She was still overjoyed at seeing her son awake again. "Mom?" "Yes, honey?" "See that machine, the one that's pumping liquid into my arm?" "Oh, you mean the Hopenol?" She said. "Take it out." "But Ash, you need it to stay awake. Your body metabolizes it fast. You need a constant supply." She hugged him. "Honey, I know it hurts, but you need it." "It hurts in more ways than you can imagine." Ash said.

Ash was tired, but he was unable to sleep. His eyes were heavy, but he could never truly rest. Hopenol prevented anyone using it from sleeping, ever. It was like a permanent insomnia, a denial of any sort of rest. Ash tried in vain to close his eyes and think of his dream world. He tried to imagine himself walking again. He thought of himself running across the beaches of Cinnabar Island, climbing up Mount Moon, and swimming through The Seafoam Islands. None of it felt the same, though. It was like trying to paint The Sistine Chapel with only yarn and saliva. It was never going to work.

Ash thought about Kanto, but then he thought about his mother. He wanted to return badly and he knew how. He just had to cut off his supply of Hopenol. "That's selfish, though. She went through a lot to get me back here." He thought. Then, he remembered Pikachu. He knew that he was still alive somewhere within his heart. "I'm coming for you, Pikachu. Don't worry. You're not dead. You'll never die." He looked back up at the IV bag pumping Hopenol into his body. Hope had to fight friendship. Reality had to fight artifice. But which side was right?

-o0o-

Help

-o0o-

Save me

Chain me

Grab me

Stab me

Teach me

Reach me

Bruise me

Use me

Hug me

Love me

Break me

Rape me

Heal me

Feel me

Kiss me

Kill me


	6. I Am Not Afraid

Chapter 6

I Am Not Afraid

It had been a week since Ash had awakened. He was completely paralyzed save for his head and three of his fingers on his left hand. He was given a motorized wheelchair that he could use to move around, but it was bulky and did not move very fast. He also was allowed to leave the hospital as long as he kept an IV of Hopenol running straight into his bloodstream at all times. He arrived at home with his mother. "Welcome home, Ash. It's a little different than how you remember." Ash remembered nothing of this house. In his mind, his house was in Pallet Town. He lived next door to Professor Oak, with his dream mother and her helper, Mr. Mime.

Delia sighed. "It's been so quiet here when you were gone, Ash. I really missed you." She said. Ash said nothing. He didn't know this woman who claimed to be his mother. She felt like a lie, like some kind of fabrication meant to resemble his mother. "The doctors said that you could have certain foods for now. Do you want me to make you some oatmeal?" "No thanks." Ash said.

"Mom?" Ash said. "Yes, honey?" "What do you believe is more true, a person's body or their heart?" She gave her son a smile. "Ash, did you pick that up from some TV show you were watching at the hospital?" "Well?" Ash said. "Honey, don't dwell on you condition. I know it's rough to think that you'll never walk again, but we should be happy you're alive." Delia said. "But I'm not happy." She changed the subject. "I should probably clean your catheter. The nurses said that it should be checked often."

Ash thought about how humiliating it was for his mom to have to reach down his pants to clean a tube in his penis. She tried to work fast because she knew that Ash never liked it. "Done. Does it feel better?" Delia said. "I have a tube in my dick. It never feels good." Ash said. "Well, the nurses said that as you recover, you may be able to graduate up to actually using the toilet again. That's a long ways off though, so…" He cut her off. "If I live that long." "Ash, honey, don't say that." "Why? I've been a vegetable for years. My body's been destroyed by time and disrepair. I can't live much longer like this." "Ash, no. Don't say that." "Why? It's the truth!"

During Ash's stay at the hospital, he'd get into conversations with himself. Sometimes he would pretend that they were people he once knew. When he spoke in a deep voice, he tried to imitate Brock. When he spoke in a falsetto voice, he was trying to sound like May. He thought about trying to come up with a Misty voice, but still felt strange about her. Many of the doctors interpreted this behavior as Ash's way of recovering from the trauma of being comatose for so long. The problem was that to Ash, this world wasn't real. He may have been home, but this wasn't home to him. His home was in Kanto.

The problem was not just in Ash's mind. It was also in his heart. As he was isolated from the places and people he loved, his heart began to turn sick. He still loved his mother, even if he thought her to be a false perversion of what he truly believed she was, but nothing else. There was a horrid, sick feeling that permeated every thought that he had, like he simply did not belong in this world, in this real world. Ash knew that he couldn't live like this. He had to return to his real life, the life he lived in the pokemon world. There was no other world for him.

He made plans that night to go back. It was a long shot, and it could kill him, but he planned to go back into a coma. Somehow, he was going to cut off his supply of Hopenol and he would fall back into a vegetative state. With his only working fingers, Ash wrote a note to his mother before he readied himself for something drastic.

Dear Mom,

I love you with all my heart. I just wasn't meant for this world. I hope I can find a place of peace and happiness, a place I can finally call home. I love you. I hope you can truly believe me. I don't belong here, though. It's not who I am. It's not what I stand for. I need a new beginning, a second chance at the life I was living. I am not afraid to die, Mom. I'm just afraid of living here.

This isn't a suicide. This is a rebirth. I'm going to be reborn into the world that was meant for me. I know you worked hard to get me back. I let you down. I'm sorry. I don't care one way or the other if you try to bring me back again. It's just that this isn't who I am anymore. I am not my body. I am my heart and I have to listen to what my heart tells me. I have to before it turns cold. Please understand. I'm sorry.

I'll miss you,

Your son, Ash.

Once he was done writing his letter, he drove his wheelchair to the stairs. He planned on getting the IV pump caught on the railing and falling off. The plan was simple enough, and he would have done it too. His mother stood in the way. "Ash, what are you doing?" She said. He had to tell the truth. "Mom, I want out." "Out of where?" She said. "Out of this life. I used to be happy." Ash said. "Honey, you can still be happy. You still have…" She tried to think of something. "I have nothing. I have no friends. I have no adventure. I have no body, nothing. I had it all, though. I used to live in a special place called Kanto."

Delia wasn't sure what her son meant by this. "Ash, are you talking about killing yourself?" "No, Mom. I just want to go home." He said. "But Baby, you are home." "No, I mean my real home, the one in my heart." Delia smiled. "What's this home like?" "You're there. So is your helper, Mr. Mime. We live next door to The Professor. He makes cool gadgets and does research all the time." Delia didn't understand most of what her son was saying, but she did understand some of it.

"I have all kinds of friends in Kanto. I have Brock, a guy who's smart, but has a weakness for ladies. Misty she…" Ash stopped himself. Did he really consider Misty his friend after what had happened? He shook his head and tried to remember the good times. "…She's a nice girl with a bit of a short temper. She's beautiful too, kind of like you." "Ash… Why are you saying this?" Delia said. She knew what her son was saying, but didn't want to come to that conclusion herself. "Mom, I only have a few days left. I may be paralyzed, but I'm not stupid. If someone's in a coma for too long, their body systematically shuts down. Hopenol doesn't actually reverse this process. It just keeps you awake while you decay." Ash was right. Hopenol didn't actually wake the whole body up from the coma. It just made the subject conscious.

"Ash… I…" Delia started to sob. "I'm sorry. I thought that having you back would be like a dream, but it's not. It's a nightmare. I mean… Before the accident you were so happy. You'd run and play and just be the cutest boy I'd ever seen and I wanted that back so bad." "It's okay, Mom. I understand." Ash said. "No. No, you don't. You don't know what it's like having both your husband and your son ripped away from you. …You'll never know." Delia said. "I can relate." Ash said.

Ash remembered the world that he once knew. He remembered his family, his friends, his pokemon, everyone. "I had this good friend, Pikachu. I know it sounds stupid, but he was a little yellow mouse. He followed me wherever I went. He helped me and I helped him. We shared so much together, like a lifetime in only a few years." "This sounded like quite a life." Delia said. "I know. He meant everything, like he was a part of me. Then, he was gone. I don't think I've ever felt so sad in my life. I just want him back more than anything else in the world." Ash said.

Delia felt like speaking to Ash was like speaking to an alien. To a point, he was an alien. He wasn't from this world. Maybe he was born there and spent a few years there as a child, but he was really from Kanto. He lived in two worlds, his body and his heart. Ash couldn't live in two worlds. He had to choose one, and he had to listen to his heart.

"Mom, I love you. I really do, but you have to get me out of here. Please Mom, pull the Hopenol out of me." Ash said. "I… I'm not sure if I can." She said. "Please. I need you to do this for me. I don't belong here. Please." She had to think for a moment. Her son was asking for her to send him back into a coma, mere weeks before death. "Ash, Honey, I…" She paused for a moment. She smiled and a tear ran down her face. "I'm there with you?" She said. "Yeah. You live with me in Pallet Town." "Just remember that I love you. Hug me when you get back. I'd give anything just to feel you hug me again." "I will, Mom." Ash said.

Delia kissed her son on the forehead before grabbing the IV full of Hopenol off of his wheelchair. She pulled the needle out of him. "You should have about five minutes left." Delia said. His eyes became heavy. His world became numb. "Thank you, Mom. This really means a lot to me." She gave him a warm smile. "I don't care either way where you go, this world or yours. You'll always be my son, no matter what."

Ash lost his energy. His three fingers that he normally used for wheelchair control fell limp. "Goodnight, Mom." "Goodnight, Ash. I love you." "I love you too, Mom…" He trailed off back into his coma. Or was his real life just an illusion?

Ash awakened. He was in a cold, dark field. All of the grass had withered and turned gray. He was in the boundary between one world and another. All he had to do was figure out how to rebuild what was lost. "Let's see… First I need that thing… What did Dad call it? Oh! A phylactery." A voice called out from behind him. "Did someone say 'phylactery'?"

Ash felt feeling return to his body. He could move his limbs again. The tubes in his body were gone. He got up, walked, and even ran. He had no idea where he was running, just happy that he could run. As Ash celebrated the return to his world, he heard the voice again. "Ash! Over here! It's me, your friend, your phylactery!" Ash turned around. It was Pikachu. He materialized in front of Ash, his body fully intact. It was like the Hopenols never killed him. "Pikachu!" He ran over to hug his pokemon. "Oh man, I am glad to see you." Ash said. "Oh, me too. Thanks for coming back, Ash. I thought I'd never see you again." Pikachu said. Ash cocked his head. "You can talk now?" Pikachu nodded. "Your mind is accepting it, right?" He said. Ash wasn't sure how this was possible, but went along with it. He was mostly glad to have his friend back.

Once Ash was done, he looked up at the sky. "You want back, don't you?" Pikachu said. "Yeah." Ash said. "I can take you there, Ash. Just follow me!" Pikachu said. He led Ash down a road through The Boundary Lands. As Ash followed, he remembered his Mom. "I'm coming, Mom. I promise." He said.

-o0o-

Ambivalence

-o0o-

I know I dragged you down with me

Right down into my hell, I pulled you under with my hope

Into my pit of misery

But life, it's surging through your heart

Your body aches and moans and I always hear it

And I can see it fall apart

I wish that I could turn time back

Go back with you to before this nightmare all began

Back before all of this went bad

To me, you'll never truly stay

You could be in heaven or hell, but you'll never be far

I don't think I care either way

And now I have to say goodbye

I don't care either way if it kills us both right now

Don't care if I live or die

May warm ambivalence light your way

May your heart find its home somewhere with someone special

And I'll see you again someday


	7. They heard his cries and prayed to him

Chapter 7

They heard his cries and prayed to him.

Pikachu led Ash down a long road through The Boundary Lands. The world looked dead. The grass was as gray as the clouds. Any trees that were around were dried up and had no leaves. There were bones strewn about on the ground in some parts. Some of them looked human. Others looked like the remains of pokemon. "What happened? Why is this place so bleak?" He said. Pikachu gave him a sad look. "It's because this is how you feel inside. You're the master of this world, yes?" Pikachu said. "Yeah." "That's why. The Boundary Lands bend to your will. This is your will right now, gloom."

Ash thought about how horrible this world looked. He tried to imagine it nicer, but couldn't. "So, if I'm master of this world, then why can't I control it?" Ash said. "Normally, you could. The problem is the Hopenol. There's still some of it left in your system. It's an outside influence, the pieces that do not fit in your mind, the thing that should not exist here, the other." Pikachu said.

Pikachu continued walking with Ash. "I wish someone could have told me this earlier." Ash said. "You didn't want it, though. You wanted to be immersed in your world and forget everything from before." Ash started to wonder why he would want that until he remembered what real life was like. He shook his head. "I have to remember this time. As much as I hate what really happened, I can't deny it this time. I need to learn from my mistakes." Ash said.

As Ash and Pikachu walked, a shadow was cast over both of them. Pikachu turned to the sky and was horrified. "What's wrong, Pikachu?" Ash asked. "One found us." He said. They both turned around and as a Hopenol Unit flying behind them. It landed with a thunderous crash and shook the earth. "Phylactery detected. Start running Operation Sunrise." It said. "Shit. What do we do?" Ash said in a panic. Pikachu smiled. Sparks jolted from it cheeks. "Leave this one to me, Ash." It jumped toward the robot with thunder surging from its body. The Hopenol Unit ran its combat systems. "Target engaged."

Pikachu shocked the robot so hard that it was blasted into the air. It fell down and was smashed into many pieces. The green liquid inside of it pulled it back together and in an instant, it regenerated. Pikachu tried to zap the Hopenol Unit again, but it put up a barrier to block it. Pikachu tried to zap harder and break through the barrier, until the Hopenol blasted him with a psychic beam. Pikachu was blasted back and looked hurt. He got up and countered with another electric bolt. It blasted the robot's head off, but it regenerated again.

Ash knew that Pikachu could not defeat a Hopenol Unit on his own. Any damage he could do would have to be regenerated. "There has to be some way to destroy this thing for good." Ash thought. He noticed that its source of power came from its green ooze that was located in its needle penis. "If only we could get that out of him." The Hopenol Unit charged up a beam and was ready to fire. "Pikachu, look out!" Pikachu was still getting up from the previous attack. Ash jumped in. He grabbed Pikachu out of the way from the attack and rolled safely out of harm's way. He put up his fists. "You want to fight, you big hunk of junk? I'll fight!" Ash said.

Ash charged toward the robot with his fists raised. He screamed and was ready to smash the Hopenol Unit's penis off, until it grabbed him with its psychic powers. Ash tried to break free, but it was too strong. "Pikachu!" Ash shouted. Pikachu nodded. He sent a torrent of electricity at the Hopenol, breaking its arms, but more importantly, its focus. The robot dropped Ash and gave him a chance to strike. He grabbed the needle between the robot's legs and pulled. Ash roared as he ripped the monster's weaponized penis off. The green ooze tried to stretch out from it, but Ash pulled it away. He broke the robot's penis over his knee, destroying it completely. The ooze fell out and dried up when it hit the ground.

The Hopenol Unit tried to grab Ash, but he punched it in the face, knocking its head clean off. "You're not immortal, not anymore!" Ash said. The headless robot swiped at Ash again, grabbing him. Ash tried to struggle, but it was no use. The Hopenol began to charge its psychic beam again. Ash thought that this was all over, that he was going to be killed this time, until a burst of lightning blasted the robot into pieces. Pikachu had saved him.

Ash looked down at the ruined Hopenol Unit. There was no way for it to regenerate now. It was completely destroyed. "Wow. We actually did it." Ash said. Pikachu smiled. "Thanks, Ash. I couldn't have done it without you." "Yeah. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead too." Ash said. Pikachu continued down the road. "The Gate of Friendship should be close by. It's the first gate we need to cross in order to return." Pikachu said.

As Ash and Pikachu walked, they came to a gate in the middle of the road. The other side looked pleasant. The sky was blue and the grass was green. "So, this is The Gate of Friendship." Ash said. He followed Pikachu through and saw familiar faces. Brock, Tracey, Max, and Cilan were all waiting for him. "Ash!" Brock called out. He ran up to Ash to see him. "Brock, it's good to see you again. I missed you." Ash said. Max ran to his side. "Oh Ash, it's been a long time." He said.

"So… This is The Friendship Gate." Ash said with a warm smile. He had his companions in front of him, all of them happy to see their friend again. "We have a lot of catching up to do." Ash said to his friends. Tracey shook his head. "Ash, we want our world back. You need to return to Kanto, not just for you, but for us." Ash thought about this. He knew that none of these people were real. They only existed inside of his mind. Yet, they could still feel emotions. They could still act on their own, autonomous from Ash, their creator. They could even make decisions and use their free will.

"This is strange. You guys are parts of me. I made you." Ash said. "I know it might feel odd, but even though you made us, we're not actually parts of you." Brock said. "Indeed. You created us. You made us out of nothing and gave us free will. You have that power, Ash. You may not always realize it, but it's there." Max said. Pikachu smiled. "Every person has a god inside of them, Ash. You need to awaken your inner god and return."

With that, shadowy figures materialized in the fields. They seemed to be pieces of nothing at first, until the shadows lifted. They were pokemon, all pokemon that Ash had caught over the years, even pokemon that he released were there. Everyone from Butterfree, to Muk, and even Glalie who had supposedly died in battle were there. "You guys… This is amazing. How did you get here?" Ash said. "You brought them here." Pikachu said. "They've returned from nothingness and want to show their gratitude." Brock said.

Each pokemon and each companion began to glow. A ball of light moved out of their bodies. "Take our strength, Ash. You'll need it." Brock said. "Really? What for?" Ash asked. "For your journey. Remember you can always count on your friends." Max said. "It's strengthening time!" Cilan shouted. The balls of light flew inside Ash. He felt their power surging through him. He felt the strength of his friends filling him with what he needed to continue. "Go now, Ash. Return to Kanto and restore the world!" Brock said. "I will. Thank you, everyone!" Ash said. With renewed strength, Ash passed through The Gate of Friendship and continued toward Kanto.

-o0o-

Power Within

-o0o-

I am good and I am bad

I am happy and I'm sad

I can see the power I have within

And I don't know where to begin

I am a god! I am a man!

And I'll do anything I can

To face the other and the unknown

And someday I will return to my home.


	8. Only You

Chapter 8

Only You

Ash and Pikachu continued down the roads through The Boundary Lands. After crossing The Gate of Friendship, the sky went back to being bleak and the grass went back to being drab and gray. Ash was feeling great, though. The power that his friends gave him made him feel like he could take on anything. He thought about how he was going to smash every last Hopenol robot that he saw and finally remove his father from his mind. Pikachu was quiet, though. For some reason, he had a worried look on his face.

"Pikachu, what's wrong?" Ash asked. "It's just… We're getting closer to Kanto, but there's another place we have to go first. It's another gate that we have to cross." "Really? Whatever it is, I can take it. We're going to reach Kanto, Pikachu." Ash said. "It's a dark place, Ash. It's where you store your repressed urges, your dirtiest thoughts, where you keep your libido chained up like a prisoner. It's The Gate of Desire." Ash smiled. "It's going to be a pretty small gate. I keep my head where it's important." He knew that this was a lie. "Just like how there is a god hidden away in everyone, there's also a pervert, Ash. You're going to have to face your desires. You have a lot of them, some of which you might not even know you have."

As Ash and Pikachu walked down the road, they began to see warning signs posted along the sides. "Warning! This is a restricted area!" "Stop! You are not supposed to go here!" "Do not enter! Hazardous environment ahead!" "Danger! You do not know what you will do to yourself if you go in!" A feeling of dread swept over Ash when he saw these. He knew that these signs existed for a reason. As they walked closer, a barbed wire fence rose from the ground. It blocked the path.

Pikachu turned to Ash. He was terrified. "You're scared. I know. We have to go on, though. It's the only way we can reach home." Pikachu said. Ash tried to suppress his fears, but it only made the fence rise higher. "Pikachu… I don't want to think about this. I don't want to go there. I… I just want to be the very best. That's it. That's what I desire." A voice called out from beyond the fence. "Don't lie to yourself, Ash. You want me and you know it." Ash looked on the other side of the gate. It was Dawn. She was smiled an evil smile and was covered in bruises and scars. She was even missing an eye.

"Dawn? What happened to you?" Ash said. Ash walked close to the gate. "You beat me down, Ash. You tried to suppress your urges for me, but I won't be defeated. If I learned anything from travelling with you it's to never let your spirit break." She grabbed at the chain link fence and attempted to pull it away. "You can't fight me much longer. You made me for a reason, Ash. Come on and use me."

Ash wasn't sure what to do. He felt like his mind had turned against him, like this was some kind of attack. He tried to look away. "Pikachu, stop her. Please." He said. "You shouldn't fight yourself, Ash. It'll get you nowhere." "Yes. Don't fight it. Let me in." Dawn said. Another voice called out. It was May. "Is that Ash? Oh, I've been so lonely in here. Ash!" She said. Ash turned around. Like Dawn, she looked battered and broken, but felt as though nothing could stop her. "May, help me break this fence down. If you do, Ash will be ours." Dawn said. May ran over to the fence. She was a lot stronger than Dawn. "Stop hiding, Ash. We never give up, just like you." Ash could see the chains on the fence bending. "Stop! He shouted." "What's the matter? Scared?" May taunted. "No! I… I'm…" "You're scared of girls. It's time to get over that fear Ash, whether you like it or not." Dawn said.

Ash saw the two women coming at him like lust filled zombies. They looked like they were both about to rip the fence open. Ash's defense mechanism went off. "Pikachu, use thunderbolt!" Ash said. "I really don't think it's a good idea." Pikachu said. "That's an order! I'm your trainer, Pikachu. Listen!" He growled. Ash tried to cover up his fear with anger, but he wasn't fooling anyone. Pikachu sighed. He blasted a bolt of electricity at May. She fell down, but got right up with a smiled. "Hurt me more, Ash. I like it when you don't hold back." "Yes. Hurt us some more. The saying goes, you always hurt the ones you love!" Dawn said.

May grabbed the fence again and with one mighty pull, tore a large piece of it away. She gave Ash a look of lust. It was one of the most terrifying things he had ever seen. "Pikachu, thunderbolt!" He said. Pikachu blasted May with another jolt of electricity, but it didn't do anything to her. Dawn approached behind her. Pikachu shot more bolts of electricity, but it did nothing. "Ash, I don't think this is going to work." Pikachu said. Ash wasn't sure what to do. He stood still, frozen with terror.

Dawn grabbed Ash by the arm and smiled. "Oh, it's so nice to be so close to you, Ash." She said. Her wounds all healed. Her missing eye was even restored. May moved close to him too. She held him by the chin and healed her wounds. "Your skin is so soft and smooth…" She said. Ash felt a burning sensation inside of him. He began to sweat and felt an agonizing pain, like the fires of Hell were licking at him. It was too much for him. He fell to his knees and cried. "Hey. Hey. We're not here to hurt you. We just want to heal ourselves. That's all." May said. "It sure didn't look like it!" Ash shouted. He curled up into a ball and sobbed.

"Ash, why are you crying?" Dawn said. "Because… I don't love you. No! No, I do love you. It's just…" He couldn't finish his words. "I think I can help you." May said. Ash stood back up. "Help? May, I don't know if you can help me." "No. You made me to help you. I'm an expert on romantic problems, you know. Tell me what it is." May said. "I… No. It's better to just forget about it." Ash said. Dawn gave him a stern look. "Ash, this isn't a problem that will just go away. You have to make an effort." "I know, but… I'm scared." "You don't have to be scared. We're with you." May said. She reached out her hand to help Ash up. He took it and stood up.

"Now, what's wrong?" May said. Ash looked deep inside himself and knew what the answer really was. "It's Misty. I love her, but she hurt me. She hurt me real bad and… I don't know." Ash said. "Do you want to talk to her? I know where she is." Dawn said. "That sounds like a good idea." Pikachu said. He turned to Ash. "How about it? Are you ready, Ash?" He wanted to say "No." He wanted to turn back and wander the Boundary Lands forever. He knew that this wasn't an option, though. He looked deep within and remembered the strength that all of his friends gave him. "I'm ready. Let's go."

Dawn and May led Ash and Pikachu through the hole that they tore in The Gate of Desire and down the road. There were ruins of a castle in the distance. It looked like it could collapse at a moment's notice. "So, what did Misty do to you?" May asked. Ash didn't want to say it. He didn't want to admit that this happened, but he had to. "She raped me." It felt horrible for him to say it. He didn't want to acknowledge what had happened. He wanted to pretend that it had never happened, but he had to. It was the only way.

Dawn led them to the ruins. "She should be in there. Go on in." She said to Ash. He started to go in, but noticed that no one was following him. They were stuck behind an invisible wall. "Aren't you guys coming with me?" He said. Pikachu shook his head. "She only wants you, Ash. She doesn't want us." "Yeah. She locked herself in this castle for a reason." Dawn said. May gave Ash a worried look. "We would help you more, but we can't now. Come back okay, all right?" She said. Ash wasn't sure of himself, but he covered it up. "I will. Thank you." He said.

Ash walked through the ruins and heard quiet sobbing. "Misty?" He said. There was no answer. He continued to follow her voice. "Misty? Is that you?" He said again. "Ash… Why are you here?" Misty said. "Misty, where are you?" Ash said. "I'm in the dungeon, where I belong." Ash saw a staircase in the case and ran down them. "Misty, I'm coming. Hang on." Ash said.

Once Ash arrived in the dungeon, he saw a horrible mass of flesh all over the walls. The floor was covered in gooey secretions and chains. The chains themselves jutted out of the walls like gigantic fleshy piercings. It all smelled hideous, like rotten meat and vaginal secretions. Sometimes he heard a loud beating, like the beating of a heart from within the horrific walls. A voice called out to him. "Ash?" It was Misty again. He followed her voice and found her.

Ash found Misty in the dungeon. She was completely naked. There were chains impaled through her wrists and into the gooey walls. All of the flesh on her chest was missing. Her rib cage was open. There was no heart inside. The grisly sight was almost too much for Ash. He felt like he could vomit. He wanted to run, but had to stay. The only way he was going to go home was if he resolved this.

Misty smiled. "Ash, you came for me." She said. "Misty, what happened? Who did this to you?" Ash said. A single tear ran down her face. "I did it to myself. How else would I get here?" She said. "Misty, you aren't making any sense. Here, let me get you down." Ash said. He tried to figure out how to get the chains out of her wrists. They were melded to her flesh, like her skin had melted around the metal and fused with it. "I don't know if you can. I hurt you, Ash. I deserve to be like this."

Ash noticed that just being around Misty didn't heal her like it did with Dawn and May. This was going to be more difficult than usual. He had an idea of what he needed to do. It was something that he didn't want to do and didn't want to say either. "Misty… I…" It was difficult to say the words and mean them. "I… I forgive you." Misty shook her head. "No you don't." "I do. Seriously. You're my friend, Misty, a true friend. I could forgive you for anything." "That's not true, Ash. I crossed the line that night. I destroyed your body. I destroyed your spirit. I destroyed your innocence. I destroyed you, Ash. I'm just so horrible and disgusting."

Another tear ran down Misty's face. "There is something that you could do to make this right, though. Something… dirty." She said. Ash knew what she was about to say. She whispered to him in a seductive voice. "Rape me." "No. I won't do that. Never." Ash said. "Why not? If you rape me, then we'll be even. Fair as that." "We won't be even, Misty. We'll just be two friends that hurt each other more than we already did. Raping you won't solve anything." Ash said. "Raping me will solve everything. It'll show me how much you want me. It'll make you just as disgusting as me, and then we'll be disgusting together. It'll even show us a good time. I promise I'll enjoy it." Misty said. "I'm not going to rape you." Ash said.

Misty grew angry. She tore the chains from her wrists. Blood splattered all over Ash and all over the fleshy walls of her dungeon. "You're going to rape me, Ash Ketchum! You're going to rape me and you will like it!" She started to grab Ash by the arm, but he pulled her away. She tried to punch him in the face, but he punched first. Misty fell to ground and sobbed. "Why won't you love me?" She said. "I do love you. I just don't want to rape you." Ash wasn't sure how Misty had reached such conclusions, but he knew that they had to stop.

Ash sat down on the floor with Misty. "I know I've been ignoring you. I've been ignoring you for far too long. I've just been so cold without knowing it. I'm sorry." Ash said. Misty gave him a confused look. "Why are you saying sorry? You didn't do anything wrong." "No, I did. We both could've handled ourselves better. I forgive you. Do you think you could forgive me?" He said. Misty gave Ash a smile. "I could forgive you for anything. You could hurt me all you want, but I'd still be your friend." "Same here." Ash said. She stood up and looked down at her exposed rib cage. "Can you help me find my heart? I tore it out and threw it away somewhere. It should be in this room." Ash stood up with her. "Sure!"

Ash searched around the pulsating vagina dungeon, looking for Misty's severed heart. He found a table full of strange objects, many of them very phallic. Ash wasn't sure if he wanted to know what Misty was doing to herself in this dungeon. "I found it!" Misty said. She pointed to a toothy hole in the wall. There was a vagina mouth with sharp, shark-like teeth jutting out of a corner. Misty tried to pull the heart out, but was unable. "It's biting down too hard. Think you could give me a hand, Ash?"

Ash walked over to the toothy vagina mouth in the wall and pulled on the heart. In a single yank, he removed it. The heart had some huge holes in it from the teeth, but they instantly healed when Ash touched them. "Good. Now put it in me." Misty said. She realized how dirty that sounded. "…I mean my heart, not… You know." Ash set Misty's heart inside of her rib cage. It regenerated and began pumping blood inside of her. Her rib cage started to close. Ash had to pull his hands out before her flesh could regenerate around him. He watched as Misty stopped looking like a zombie and returned to just looking like a normal human. The slimy walls disappeared. The chains all rusted and turned to dust. The table full of phallic and sharp objects faded away. The castle had returned to being a normal ruined castle.

Misty grabbed Ash and embraced him. "Thank you, Ash. Thank you for everything. I don't think I could ever ask for a better boyfriend." Ash started to feel uncomfortable. He was reminded that Misty was still completely naked when she pressed her body up against his. He had to fight the impulse to push her away. "Thanks, Misty. You're great too." She held him tighter. "No, I'm not. I'm a horrible monster, a disgusting, unlovable, evil…" "I don't care. I'll still love you, no matter how disgusting you get." Those words meant a lot to Misty. She never thought she would hear Ash ever say that he loved her and mean it, especially after everything they had been through.

"I'll be waiting for you, Ash." Misty whispered. "Where?" "Kanto. We can pick up where we left off there." Misty said. Her body began to disintegrate into particles of light. "Misty? What's going on?" "I'm giving you my strength. All of it. Use it well, Ash." Misty said. The light that was once her body went inside of Ash. He felt even more power surging through him.

The castle around Ash disappeared. He was back in The Boundary Lands with Pikachu, May, and Dawn. They gazed at him expectantly. "I did it. Everything's patched up between us. I feel a lot stronger now, strong enough to reach home." He said. May smiled. "Oh, I just love it when my advice works out!" She said. "Good luck on your journey, Ash. Maybe we'll see you again someday!" May said. They waved goodbye. Ash turned to Pikachu. "Shouldn't we take them along with us?" He said. "They're all a part of you, remember? When you cross the last gate, everyone will be there." Pikachu said. Ash nodded. "Right. Let's get going!" He said. He ran down the road, ready to face whatever challenges awaited him. "Ash, slow down! I can't keep up!" Pikachu said, chasing after him.

-o0o-

Do You Love Me?  
-o0o-

I was delighted when my heart could fly

Spread wings of desire across the sky

But destiny clipped my wings, I was done

I realized all of my dreams had died

I then became a walking suicide

And only you could be my only one

I thought that it was all a fucking lie

I watched in despair as the world went by

I thought that lie was over when we were through

But you came back, I know exactly why

It doesn't matter how hard I can try

The only one for me has to be you.e came He


	9. March On

Chapter 9

March On

Ash and Pikachu continued down the road. "Kanto's close. I can feel it." Ash said. Pikachu nodded. "There's only one gate left to cross, The Final Gate. After that, we're home." Pikachu said. "Home…" Ash said. He remembered the world that he used to live in. He remembered the colorful creatures that he knew, the places that he saw, and the people he met. "I'm coming." Ash said.

As Ash and Pikachu approached The Final Gate, he saw shadows fill the sky. An eerie feeling swept over him, like there was something that should not be there, a piece that did not fit, a being that should not exist, the other. "They're coming." Ash said. Pikachu turned to Ash. "Who?" "The Hopenol Units."

A gust of wind swept The Boundary Lands. The first Hopenol Unit landed with a thunderous crash. It shook the ground when it arrived. It was followed by four other robots, all looking the same. Their penis-like needles dripped with green ooze. Their leader spoke. "Ash Ketchum, you should not be here. You should be awake." He said. Ash smiled. Deep down, he was afraid, but he could not let it show. "I am awake." He said. "No, you are unconscious. Your mind has been separated from your body. We must unify them and destroy your phylactery." "Are you talking about Pikachu? If you are, I'm not going to let that happen, not this time." The Hopenol leader was silent. Another spoke up. "You have killed our brother, Ash Ketchum. We fight not for our duty to our master, but for revenge. You shall be excised from this world never to return." "I'll kill all of you. Just like how I killed your brother." Ash said. He turned to Pikachu. "Are you ready?" He said. "I was reborn ready." Pikachu said with sparks flying from his cheeks.

Pikachu shot a bolt of lightning at the lead Hopenol Unit, but it put up a barrier to stop the attack. Two of the other Hopenols flew behind the electric mouse pokemon and grabbed him with their psychic hold. The leader flew in and brandished is needle penis. "This will be over quickly." He said. Ash saw what was about to happen. Pikachu didn't stand a chance against five Hopenol Units at once. He had to join in. He could feel his inner strength burning. Voices in his head spoke to him. "Ash, you can't have your pokemon fight every battle for you." It was Brock. "You have to believe in yourself. Believe in your strength. Use that power I gave you. Don't let it go to waste." Misty added. Ash clenched his fist. "I will. For everyone."

The lead Hopenol Unit moved closer to Pikachu. Green ooze dripped from its needle like sperm from a penis. "Get away from my friend!" Ash shouted. One of the Hopenol Units laughed. "You think you can stop us? You're only a human. You have human limitations, no powers whatsoever." "Maybe being a human means more than you think." Ash said. He charged toward the lead Hopenol Unit and slammed his fist into the robot's face. The metal crunched from the impact. The other Hopenol Units were stunned. Pikachu took this opportunity to shoot a burst of electricity at the robot's needle. It exploded from the attack, spreading the green ooze everywhere. Its body fell down, limp.

"Who's next?" Ash said. Another Hopenol Unit charged at Ash, but he jumped out of the way. He grabbed it by the head and twisted it off. Another tried to shoot a beam, but Ash rolled out of the way. Pikachu blasted electricity at another, but it was all useless. All of them regenerated. Ash even saw their leader reconstructing, like the ooze could pull its parts back together even when its need was broken.

Ash started to run toward one of the Hopenol Units, but it dashed away. They all dashed away and formed a circle around Pikachu. "Ash?" Pikachu said. He watched in horror as the robots charged their psychic beams. He tried to get ready for a counter attack. He charged himself and got ready for a volt tackle, but it was too late. The robots all fired their beams at once. Pikachu tried his best to resist. He tried to charge himself and break free from the pain, but instead, he fell down. "Pikachu!" Ash shouted. The Hopenol leader turned to him. "Your phylactery is no more. You shall return to your life, your real life, where you belong."

Ash thought that his world would be destroyed again, but he didn't feel anything leaving him. Nothing faded into nothingness. His body did not return to being a vegetable. He stood there, with fury in his heart and a single tear in his eye. "I am going to kill every last fucking one of you." Ash growled. Before any of the Hopenol Units could respond, he ran up to their leader and snapped its penis off with his bare hands. The ooze inside tried to pull it back, but Ash tore it away and jammed the need straight into the robot's eye. He heard a sound, the sound of the other Hopenols readying their beams. He jumped back and dodged them. "Is that all you've got?" Ash taunted.

One of the remaining Hopenols tried to lift Ash with its mind. Ash could feel his body being taken hold, but broke free. He could feel the strength that his friends and his girlfriend had given him surging through his body. Ash ran forward and impaled the needle straight through one of the Hopenol Unit's chests and tore off its penis. Once again, the green ooze tried to pull the penis back onto the robot's body, but Ash tore it away before it could reach far enough.

Ash looked for his next target and saw a Hopenol charging its beam. He jammed both of the needles into its head and pulled apart its lower body. It thrashed its tail around until Ash broke off its penis and drained all the ooze out onto the ground to dry up. Before he could move on to the last two, he felt another psychic grip on him. It was much stronger and left him completely immobilized. He saw one robot in front of him and heard another behind him. He felt a small prick of a needle on the back of his neck, like he was about to get injected. "It's time for Little Nemo to fall out of bad." The robot said.

Pikachu got up. He saw Ash being held down by one robot and about to get injected by the other. He still had his electric charge. Battered and beaten from the robot onslaught, he stood up and unleashed his ultimate attack. "I'm coming, Ash!" Pikachu shouted. Wish speed so great that neither of the robots could foresee it, Pikachu slammed himself into the robot that was about to inject Ash. The ooze started to reconstruct the Hopenol Unit, but Pikachu shocked the ooze, killing it. The last Hopenol Unit panicked. He started to charge his beam, until Ash broke free from its psychic grasp. He broke the needl off and tore it in half before the ooze could regenerate it. All of the Hopenol Units were destroyed.

Ash turned to Pikachu. He looked beaten up from the fight, like he might pass out at any moment. "Don't worry, Pikachu. The worst is over. We'll be home soon." "I know. Look." Pikachu said. He pointed to a gate in the distance. On the other side, he could see Pallet Town. Ash gazed in wonder as he saw this. He picked up his pokemon and started to run until he heard a familiar voice. "Going somewhere?" It was Giovonni. He materialized in front of him with his Persian. "Dad… How did you get here?" He said. "The same way you got here, Ash. You're dead."

Ash wasn't sure what to make of what his father had just said. "I'm dead?" "Yes. The moment you returned from your true life was the moment you died. Why do you think the Hopenol stopped working on you? You're just like me now, Ash. You're a lich with only your phylactery keeping you conscious." Persian purred when he said this. It didn't take long for Ash to figure out what Giovonni's phylactery was.

"So, why do you want to return to your world of lies? Are you so dead set on avoiding the truth, on escaping from what's really important, that you wish to live out your eternity in a hugbox?" Giovonni said. Ash growled. "Hugbox?" "You are so pathetic to run and hide away like that. I wanted to wake you up because you need to face your problems. Running away from the truth won't make you into a better person. It will only make you into a fucking coward." "I'm not a coward." Ash said. "Really? Cowards hate the truth. Cowards fear and hate reality and hide in their escapist cesspools. You, Ash, and a coward. You disgust me so much that I disown you. I have no son." He said.

Ash wasn't sure what to say at first. Hearing his father disowning him made him feel hurt, like someone who once loved him, albeit in a very peculiar way, had just severed ties. He thought about crying, but shook those thoughts away. "You aren't my father. You don't live here, either. In fact, you don't belong." Ash said in a cold voice. Giovonni sensed resistance in his son. "What, you think you can fight me? I have the strength of reality on my side, Ash. All you have are lies, pathetic lies that will never compare to the truth." Ash set down Pikachu and clenched his fists. "This is my truth."

Ash started to charge toward his father, but Persian jumped in the way. It growled and hissed as it knocked Ash to the ground. Ash tried to get the demon cat off of him, but it held on with its claws and sank its teeth into his neck. Giovonni laughed. "Phylacteries are as strong as their master's will, Ash. My will is greater than yours." The Persian pulled back and bit Ash again. Blood dripped down his neck and into the pokemon's mouth. Ash tried to call upon the strength of his friend and the strength of his love for Misty, but it wasn't enough. He started to see flashbacks of when he was in the hospital. He saw himself covered in red goo. He saw his bags of medicine, his catheter, the frantic nurses, and his lonely mother.

Ash felt like his life was fading, until a sudden burst of lightning knocked Persian off of him. It was Pikachu. He could barely stand, but he could still fight. Giovonni laughed. "Your phylactery can still fight? It has to have barely any life left in it." "We never give up." Ash said. "Then you will suffer! Persian, attack!" The cat pokemon pounced on Pikachu, but Ash pulled it away. He wrapped one hand around the Persian's neck and punched it with his other. He readied himself for another punch, until Persian let out a hiss. In a sudden burst of strength, the demon cat pulled itself out of Ash's grasp and pounced. It knocked Ash to the ground with its force and sunk its teeth into his neck. Ash, thinking fast, bit Persian back. They both drew blood from their attacks.

Giovonni could tell that his pokemon, his phylactery was starting to lose. He pulled a handgun from his pocket and aimed it at his son. He cocked the pistol, until a spark of eletricity shocked his hand. He dropped the gun and shouted in pain. He started to grab his gun off of the ground, but found that someone else had already grabbed it. It was Pikachu. He held his pistol up to Giovonni's head. "Drop it. Now." Giovonni commanded. "You're not my trainer. I don't have to listen to you." Pikachu fired. Unfortunately, his hands were never meant for aiming and firing a gun, so he missed every time. Giovonni jumped out of the way and kicked Pikachu. He dropped the gun and flew through the air, landing on his face. Ash noticed the gun and slugged Persian in the face. It let go of him. He raced for the gun and tried to get it before his father. With unnatural speed, speed that had to have been given to him from his friends, Ash grabbed the gun and pointed it as his father.

"Don't move. I'll shoot." Ash said. "You wouldn't dare! I made you, you know! A boy killing his father is one of the worst things a man can do!" Giovonni said. Ash smiled. "I know." He turned to Persian, who was ready to pounce on Ash again. When it saw the gun, its eyes grew wide. It started to run, until Ash unloaded three bullets into the cat pokemon. It screamed in pain and fell down. Blood poured out for it.

Giovonni started to try to grab the gun from his son's hands, but Ash turned around and shot him in the chest. His father fell down and held his wound in pain. "Ash… You fool. I tried to show you the truth, but you looked away. You looked into your pathetic, infantile, fantasy world and…" "Shut up." He unloaded the rest of the clip into his father. He fell down, dead in a puddle of his own blood. Ash turned to Pikachu. He was severely beaten, but could still stand. "You okay, Pikachu?" He said. "Pika." "What?" "Oh, sorry. Old habit. I'm fine." Pikachu said. They both turned toward The Final Gate and began their final steps.

As Ash and Pikachu continued walking, they heard another hiss. They turned around and saw Persian. It was barely alive and struggling to stand up, but it was still alive. "I can take care of this." Pikachu said. He let loose a torrent of electricity. The energy coursed through Persian, like a river of thunder was flowing through its body. Persian's fur caught fire. Its skin started to melt. Its eyes turned to liquid. Ash saw a yellow flash come from the demon cat's mouth. It s the phylactery. The phylactery was destroyed. Giovonni was never going to come back to haunt Ash. His ghost was no more.

Pikachu turned away from Persian's disfigured and charred corpse and smiled at Ash. "When you kill someone, be sure to destroy their body all the way. That way, they can't get back up." "If I'm lucky I won't have to kill anyone else. Come on, Pikachu. Let's go home." Ash said. He put his pokemon on his shoulder and walked into The Final Gate. Their wounds all healed. Their bodies were restored. Through the gate, Ash returned to his fantasy. He was lost within his mind. He was happy. For a split second, Ash heard the sound of a loud bird. It was the same bird that he saw at the beginning of his journey, a bird of good fortune, Ho-oh. It disappeared the moment they set foot in Kanto.

Ash and Pikachu arrived in Pallet Town. They saw Delia waiting for them. "Ash!" She called out from he window. She ran out of her house to hug her son. "Oh Ash, you're back! I missed you so much." She said. "I told you I'd return." Ash said. He heard another voice in the distance. "Ash!" It was Misty. Brock was following her. They ran up to him to hug their friend as well. Ash had never felt so much love in his life. He felt like he was finally where he belonged, not in a hospital or in a body that didn't work, but in his world.

Ash thought as his mother and his friends hugged him. He was in a false world, a place that he made for himself to live, a place that was not true. Artificial. Synthetic. Fake. Unnatural. All of those words had negative connotations, yet they were how Ash described his world. His "true" home was in the real world, where his body was destroyed in an accident and the only one who loved him was his mother. Ash shook his head. "This is my home now. Wherever I walk, wherever I go, through the deepest oceans, the simple rolling hills, the lushest green forests, or even the big cities, wherever my journey guides me… That's my home." Welcome home.

Special thanks goes out to the anonymous author of the essay "Pokemon Explained" for the inspiration to write this piece.

Thank you for reading my story.

_fin_


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